Tag Archives: One

For the fourth year running, the mobile games industry has come out in force to support SpecialEffect’s One Special Day fundraising event to help more severely disabled people from all over the world enjoy the fun and inclusion of video games.

Big hitters such as Supercell, Seriously, Miniclip, Playtika, Naturalmotion/Zynga, Space Ape, Rovio, Outfit7, Glu, First Touch Games, New Star Games, MAG Interactive, Dirtybit and Dots will donate a day of their UK income from a range of titles on Friday 4 October. One Special Day has raised almost £1 million towards the work of SpecialEffect since it started in 2016 and, as demand for the charity’s services continues to grow rapidly, the boost from this year’s event is more welcome than ever.

UK in-game purchases on 4 October from titles like Clash of Clans, Angry Birds, Best Fiends, Fastlane, 8-Ball Pool, Talking Tom and CSR Racing 2 means that, while the players themselves are having fun, they’re also helping SpecialEffect to reach more severely disabled people.

SpecialEffect’s Barry Floyd is delighted that the mobile industry combines with their gaming communities for SpecialEffect on One Special Day. “Here in the UK, on the 4 October, the money that they would have spent in the relevant mobile games takes on a whole new significance. Every penny will be used to help someone with a disability towards a better quality of life through specialist technology.”

Seriously’s CEO and Co-Founder Andrew Stalbow said “It’s been a fantastic experience working with SpecialEffect for the last two One Special Day campaigns, and we are working hard to make this year’s event the biggest one yet. It’s been really gratifying to see the mobile community come together to support this work, and we are hoping to have a record number of developers join us this year.”

To celebrate another amazing year at the largest gaming conference in the world – E3 – leading technology retailer Argos is offering selected customers the chance to take home the new Xbox One S All-Digital Edition in white for the price of a takeaway coffee.

In a UK first, the console, usually priced at £199.991 will be available for just £3 – a massive 98 per cent discount for 10 lucky customers.

The consoles will also become one-off pieces of art, with acclaimed artist Josh Parkin illustrating them with an image of each lucky gamer, in his unmistakable style.

To be in with a chance of getting a customised console for just £3, customers simply need to register their interest in the exclusive offer on the Argos website https://competitions.argos.co.uk/xbox_one_s_2019_06 between now and 23:59 on Wednesday 19 June.

Lucky customers will be randomly selected to collect their console at London’s Old Street Argos store on Monday 24 June. Those unable to make it in person have the option of having it delivered to their home2.

The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition enables gamers to build a library of digital games and offers the chance to pre-order and pre-install upcoming games, ready to play the moment they launch. With a disc-free experience eliminating the need to constantly change and store physical games, the console is the ideal choice for minimalists who want to reduce clutter.

It comes with Forza Horizon 3, Sea of Thieves and Minecraft ready to play and includes a wireless controller and one month of Xbox Live, making it the best value console in the Xbox range. For even more value you can add an Xbox Game Pass for Console membership. Over 100 high-quality console games for just £7.99 a month. With games added all the time, there’s always have something new to play3.

Peter Wray, Head of Gaming at Argos, said: “We wanted to share the excitement of E3 and celebrate the launch of the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition with this very special price of £3. Our collaboration with renowned illustrator Josh Parkin also means gamers can make an aesthetic feature of their console in their home.”

The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition is available at Argos nationwide with free Click & Collect available at more than 1,000 locations, including 250+ Argos stores inside Sainsbury’s supermarkets. Shoppers can also take advantage of Argos’s market-leading Fast Track service, which offers home delivery in as little as four hours up to 10pm, seven days a week, for just £3.95.

Sunday’s Xbox E3 Briefing was the largest in Microsoft Corp.’s history with more than 6,000 people, including more than 1,000 fans, invited to attend in the Microsoft Theater.

Microsoft announced it is doubling its game development studios and showcased a record 52 games on stage including 18 console launch exclusives and 15 world premieres. The diverse lineup included games for every type of player, from exclusives like “Forza Horizon 4,” “Halo Infinite” and “Gears 5,” and independent titles like “Session,” “Below,” “Ashen” and “Tunic” to some of the biggest blockbuster games coming in the next year like “Fallout 76,” “Tom Clancy’s The Division 2,” “Kingdom Hearts 3,” “Devil May Cry 5,” “Battlefield V,” “Metro Exodus” and “Shadow of the Tomb Raider,” many enhanced to take advantage of the power of Xbox One X.

“There has never been a more exciting time to be part of the gaming industry, with creators large and small showcasing incredible new games for the more than two billion players around the world,” said Phil Spencer, head of Gaming at Microsoft. “At Microsoft, we are committed to empowering gamers to play the games they want, with the people they want, where they want.”

INVESTING IN DEVELOPMENT OF ORIGINAL CONTENT
Microsoft announced it is doubling its game development studios by adding five new creative teams to the Microsoft Studios family. New investments include the formation of a brand-new studio, The Initiative, the acquisition of Playground Games, and letters of intent to acquire Ninja Theory, Undead Labs and Compulsion Games.

The Initiative. Based in Santa Monica, Calif., The Initiative is a brand-new Microsoft game development studio headed by industry veteran Darrell Gallagher that is working to create groundbreaking new worlds, characters and game experiences.

Playground Games . Microsoft has acquired U.K.-based Playground Games, a development partner since 2010 that has helped grow the “Forza” franchise to new heights. In addition to its work on this year’s “Forza Horizon 4,” Playground Games will have a team dedicated to bringing their open-world expertise to an entirely new project.

Ninja Theory . The relationship between Ninja Theory and Microsoft started in 2000 when “Kung Fu Chaos” was in development for the original Xbox and culminated in the release of “Hellblade” on Xbox One earlier this year. Microsoft’s intent to acquire Ninja Theory will help ensure the creative team has the resources and freedom to bring more ambitious games like “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice” to fans.

Undead Labs. Seattle-based Undead Labs is the creator of the popular “State of Decay” franchise, enjoyed by millions of fans worldwide. In the first two weeks since “State of Decay 2” launched, more than two million fans joined the fight to survive and took down more than two billion zombies. By entering into a letter of intent to acquire Undead Labs, Microsoft is signaling its commitment to growing the franchise and taking the zombie survival-fantasy genre to new heights.

Compulsion Games. As “We Happy Few” nears its full, multiplatform release on Aug. 10, Microsoft has entered into a letter of intent to acquire Montreal-based Compulsion Games. By joining the team at Microsoft Studios, Compulsion will have the resources, platform and freedom to take even bigger creative risks and create even more ambitious worlds with its future projects.

“The original games we create at Microsoft Studios are some of our biggest assets,” said Matt Booty, corporate vice president of Microsoft Studios. “Our growth strategy is to continue to expand the worlds that players love, while developing all-new exclusive games that deepen their engagement with our platform. We are thrilled to welcome five new studios into the Microsoft family. We believe these teams have the collective creative power and operational excellence to deliver the next industry game changers.”

The addition of these creative teams reinforces Microsoft’s vision for gaming, which starts with a deep commitment to original content. The company is developing a portfolio of games on every device, including newly announced Microsoft Studios games. Revealed on stage today were three new Gears of War titles — “Gears 5,” “Gears Tactics,” “Gears Pop!” — along with “Battletoads,” “Forza Horizon 4” and “Halo Infinite,” a Master Chief story and the next major release in the franchise built from the ground up on the new Slipspace engine.

ACCESS TO YOUR FAVORITE GAMES FASTER AND BETTER THAN EVER
Microsoft announced several new titles joining the Xbox Game Pass catalog this year including “Forza Horizon 4,” “Fallout 4,” “Tom Clancy’s The Division” and “The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited,” as well as several new ID@Xbox games being added on their release date. Microsoft also introduced new innovations to push digital gaming forward, including FastStart, an innovation from Microsoft’s Machine Learning Team, and plans from Microsoft’s Gaming Cloud Team to develop a game streaming service to unlock console-quality gaming on any device.

“We’ve been thrilled to see the positive impact Xbox Game Pass is having on the gaming ecosystem, including increasing the number of titles gamers play nearly 40 percent and increasing gameplay hours by almost 20 percent,” said Mike Nichols, chief marketing officer for Gaming at Microsoft. “With the ultimate freedom to explore and play over 100 great games, Xbox Game Pass delivers our members an incredible value in gaming.”

Xbox Game Pass. The Xbox Game Pass catalog continues to expand, with exciting new blockbuster titles available to members starting today, including “Fallout 4,” “The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited” and “Tom Clancy’s The Division.” Microsoft also announced several notable titles launching through the ID@Xbox program that will be coming to Xbox Game Pass this year to coincide with their debut on Xbox One. These include “Warhammer: Vermintide 2,” “Ashen,” “Afterparty” and “Phoenix Point,” as well as blockbusters from some of our biggest first-party franchises such as “Forza Horizon 4,” “Crackdown 3,” “Gears 5” and “Halo: The Master Chief Collection,” which will release later in 2018 and beyond.

FastStart (Xbox One). With FastStart, you can now jump into your gamei twice as fast and play after downloading just a fraction of your title. FastStart identifies which files are needed to begin playing and prioritizes the download of those files first, enabling you to quickly jump into full-fidelity gameplay while the remainder of your title downloads in the background. Simply find the FastStart-enabled title you want to play, hit Download and your console will take care of the rest. It’s that simple.

Xbox Adaptive Controller (Xbox One, Windows 10). Beginning at 9 a.m. PT on June 11, preorders will begin in select markets for the first-of-its-kind Xbox Adaptive Controller, designed for gamers with limited mobility. Available exclusively through Microsoft Store for $99.99 USD, the newest addition to the Xbox family of controllers and devices is designed to be as adaptable as possible, so gamers can create a setup that works for them in a way that is plug-and-play, extensible and affordable.

Mixer. Mixer, Microsoft’s live streaming service, is seeing continued growth with viewership doubling in just six months to more than 20 million. The majority of this is growth from viewers on mobile

BEST PLACE TO PLAY ORIGINAL, BLOCKBUSTER AND INDEPENDENT GAMES

Xbox One continues to be the best place to play the biggest blockbuster games with over 220 titles enhanced for Xbox One X, the world’s most powerful console, with new games leveraging the power of the platform from some of the world’s most talented creators like “Fallout 76” from Bethesda Game Studios, “Cyberpunk 2077” from CD Projekt Red, “Tom Clancy’s The Division 2” from Ubisoft Massive and dozens more. Independent game creators also continue to innovate on Xbox One with games like “Session,” “Below,” “Ashen” and “Tunic” coming to Xbox One as console launch exclusives.

“BATTLEFIELD V” (ELECTRONIC ARTS). Available worldwide Oct. 19, 2018, enter mankind’s greatest conflict with “Battlefield™ V” as the series goes back to its roots in a never-before-seen portrayal of World War 2. Take on all-out multiplayer across the world or witness human drama set against global combat in single player War Stories, including Nordlys — a first look shown in the Xbox E3 briefing — the story of a young Norwegian resistance fighter during the German occupation, you must pay an unthinkable price to save not only yourself, but also your family.

“BLACK DESERT” (PEARL ABYSS). “Black Desert” is a revolutionary MMORPG that delivers intense, fast-paced combat, profitable life skills and an expansive open world. Slay monsters, abominations and gods, or engage in relaxing life skills like crafting, fishing and cooking. Become your true self in this truly open world MMORPG

“CRACKDOWN 3” (XBOX ONE AND WINDOWS 10 EXCLUSIVE). “Crackdown 3” brings the boom next February, where players will stop crime as a super-powered Agent in a sandbox of mayhem and destruction. Developed by Microsoft Studios in collaboration with Sumo Digital and Elbow Rocket, “Crackdown 3” delivers cooperative mayhem, signature antics, explosive gameplay and an all-new multiplayer mode,iiWrecking Zone, where destruction is your ultimate weapon powered by Microsoft Cloud. Available worldwide in February 2019.

“CUPHEAD: THE DELICIOUS LAST COURSE” (STUDIO MDHR). In “Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course,” Cuphead and Mugman are joined by Ms. Chalice for a DLC add-on adventure on a brand-new island! With new weapons, new charms and Ms. Chalice’s brand new abilities, take on a new cast of multifaceted, screen-filling bosses to assist Chef Saltbaker in Cuphead’s final challenging quest.

“CYBERPUNK 2077” (CD PROJEKT RED). “Cyberpunk 2077” is a narrative-driven, open world RPG set in the most vibrant and dangerous metropolis of the future — Night City. You play as V, a hired gun on the rise, who just got their first serious contract. In a world of cyber-enhanced street warriors, tech-savvy netrunners and corporate lifehackers, today is your first step to becoming an urban legend.

“DEVIL MAY CRY 5” (CAPCOM). A brand-new entry in the legendary over-the-top action series comes to Xbox One in spring 2019, complete with its signature blend of high-octane stylized action and otherworldly and original characters the series is known for. Years have passed since the legions of hell have set foot in this world, but now a new demonic invasion has begun, and humanity’s last hope will rest in the hands of three lone demon hunters, each offering a radically different play style. United by fate and a thirst for vengeance, these demon hunters will have to face their demons if they hope to survive. The devil you know returns in the most over the top, technically advanced, utterly insane action experience of this generation.

“DYING LIGHT 2” (TECHLAND). The bold sequel to the open-world phenomenon, “Dying Light 2” brings to life a unique post-apocalyptic vision of the Modern Dark Ages, where your parkour abilities and brutal combat skills are the only things that let you dive into darkness and emerge alive. Make morally grey decisions, shape the transformation of the City and ultimately decide its fate.

“FALLOUT 76” (BETHESDA GAME STUDIOS). The award-winning creators of “Skyrim” and “Fallout 4” welcome you to “Fallout 76” — a stunning prequel and the largest world ever created in the legendary Fallout universe. Set in the hills of West Virginia, you are one of the first to emerge, into a new and untamed wasteland.

“GEARS 5” (XBOX ONE AND WINDOWS 10 EXCLUSIVE – WORLD PREMIERE). As Kait, journey across the biggest, most beautiful Gears world ever created. Play solo or with a friend in local split-screen co-op, or online co-opiii and experience every mode in 4K Ultra HD resolution with stunning HDR at a smooth 60 frames per second. “Gears 5” will be released in 2019 on Xbox One and Windows 10 and will come to Xbox Game Pass on the same date as its global release.

“GEARS POP!” (IOS AND ANDROID EXCLUSIVE – WORLD PREMIERE). “Gears Pop!” brings together iconic Gears characters in a cute Funko Pop! style. The game is being developed in partnership with Funko (Nasdaq “FNKO”) and inspired by the “Gears of War” vinyl collectible figures. It’s the perfect slice of mobile mayhem, available on iOS and Android in 2019.

“HALO INFINITE” (XBOX ONE AND WINDOWS 10 EXCLUSIVE – WORLD PREMIERE). The Master Chief returns in the next chapter of the legendary franchise in “Halo Infinite.” Developed by 343 Industries and created with the studio’s new Slipspace Engine, “Halo Infinite” debuted at the Xbox E3 2018 Briefing with a thrilling engine demo that provides a glimpse into the future of Halo, leading the franchise into new and unexpected directions.

“JUMP FORCE” (BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA INC). The greatest heroes and villains from the 50-year history of Shueisha’s influential Japanese Weekly Jump manga will battle against each other across iconic locations across Earth in this anime fan’s dream come true! Featuring the world’s most popular and classic manga and anime franchises including DRAGON BALL Z, ONE PIECE, NARUTO, and many others, players will be able to compete in hyper-stylish arena brawls set against familiar backdrops of famous landmarks around the world, including New York City’s Times Square and the Matterhorn.

“JUST CAUSE 4” (SQUARE ENIX). Rogue agent Rico Rodriguez journeys to Solis, a huge South American world home of conflict, oppression and extreme weather conditions. Strap into your wingsuit, equip your fully customizable grappling hook, and get ready to bring the thunder!

“KINGDOM HEARTS III” (SQUARE ENIX). “KINGDOM HEARTS III” tells the story of the power of friendship as Sora and his friends embark on a perilous adventure and support each other through difficult times. Set in a vast array of Disney worlds, “KINGDOM HEARTS” follows the journey of Sora, a young boy and unknowing heir to a spectacular power. Sora is joined by Donald and Goofy to stop an evil force known as the Heartless from invading and overtaking the universe. Through the power of positivity and friendship, Sora, Donald and Goofy unite with iconic Disney-Pixar characters old and new to overcome tremendous challenges and persevere against the darkness threatening their worlds.

“METRO EXODUS” (DEEP SILVER). “Metro Exodus” is an epic, story-driven first person shooter from 4A Games that blends deadly combat and stealth with exploration and survival horror in one of the most immersive game worlds ever created. Explore the Russian wilderness across vast, nonlinear levels and follow a thrilling storyline that spans an entire year through spring, summer and autumn to the depths of nuclear winter. Inspired by the novels of Dmitry Glukhovsky, “Metro Exodus” continues Artyom’s story in the greatest Metro adventure yet.

“NIER: AUTOMATA” BECOME AS GODS EDITION (SQUARE ENIX). “NieR: Automata” is a revolutionary action RPG set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by machine lifeforms and abandoned by mankind. As part of an android army created by humans to reclaim the planet, players will fight their way through the mechanical horde using a collective of close-combat weapons and ranged attacks.

“ORI AND THE WILL OF THE WISPS” (XBOX ONE AND WINDOWS 10 EXCLUSIVE). The highly anticipated sequel “Ori and the Will of the Wisps” made its worldwide gameplay debut, showcasing Ori’s immersive world, dynamic combat mechanics, gripping enemy encounters and challenging puzzles in this story-driven adventure. “Ori and the Will of the Wisps” releases on Xbox One and Windows 10 in 2019.

“PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS” (CONSOLE LAUNCH EXCLUSIVE). PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS (PUBG), the tactical, high-octane battle royale phenomenon, debuted footage from two new maps: Sanhok, a smaller-scale, action-packed map inspired by the islands that dot the Southeast Pacific Ocean, and a snow-covered map currently in development. New footage also debuted of War Mode, a deathmatch-style battle royale gaming experience and the world premiere debut of the Ballistic Shield, a new tool for setting up quick cover for explosive and close-distance attacks. Sanhok and War Mode will debut on Xbox in late summer 2018.

“SEA OF THIEVES” (XBOX ONEiv AND WINDOWS 10 EXCLUSIVE). “Sea of Thieves,” the shared-world multiplayer game that provides the quintessential pirate experience, returns with additional content that continues to grow and evolve the game. Releasing in July, Cursed Sails will bring a new threat to the seas in the form of terrifying skeleton ships. In September, Forsaken Shores will reveal a perilous new part of the world, filled with dangers that will test the skill and nerve of even the most hardened crews. Each update will be accompanied by a time-limited campaign that introduces content in a fun, engaging and memorable way. “Sea of Thieves” is now available on Xbox One, Windows 10 and Xbox Game Pass as an Xbox Play Anywhere title.

“SEKIRO™: SHADOWS DIE TWICE” (ACTIVISION). A fantastical, dark and twisted new gameplay experience developed by the renowned team at FromSoftware and published by Activision. Directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice” is a third-person, action-adventure game with RPG elements. The single-player game puts gamers in the protagonist role of a hard-hearted warrior whose mission is to rescue his master, a young lord, and exact revenge on his arch nemesis. “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice” is scheduled for release in early 2019 for the family of Xbox One devices from Microsoft, including the Xbox One X. Preorders are available now at select retailers for the suggested retail price of $59.99.

“SESSION” (CREA-TURE STUDIOS). Inspired by the golden era of skateboarding, the early 90s and early 2000, “Session’s” primary goal is to make you experience what skateboarding really is: an incredible sport where there are no other goals other than expressing your creativity and achieving success through hard work, perseverance and bits of madness for no one else other than yourself.

“SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER” (SQUARE ENIX). Experience Lara Croft’s defining moment as she becomes the Tomb Raider. In “Shadow of the Tomb Raider,” Lara must master a deadly jungle, overcome terrifying tombs, and persevere through her darkest hour. As she races to save the world from a Maya apocalypse, Lara will ultimately be forged into the Tomb Raider she is destined to be.

“TALES OF VESPERIA: DEFINITIVE EDITION” (BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA INC). Available this winter, “Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition” celebrates the 10th anniversary of this cherished RPG with new fully playable characters, events and other additional content never released outside of Japan. Follow Yuri Lowell, a former Imperial Knight, as he befriends a colorful cast of characters throughout the world of Terca Lumireis and finds himself in the middle of a nefarious plot that threatens the destruction of the entire planet.

“THE AWESOME ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN SPIRIT” (SQUARE ENIX). Have you ever dreamt of being a superhero? Meet Chris, a creative and imaginative 10-year-old boy who escapes reality with fantastical adventures as his alter ego, the Awesome Captain Spirit! Return to your childhood and play a touching and heart-warming one-of-a-kind narrative experience from the directors and development team behind the BAFTA award-winning game “Life is Strange.” “The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit” is an original story set in the Life is Strange Universe that contains links to the brand new story an characters of “Life is Strange 2.”

“TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION 2” (UBISOFT). Developed by Ubisoft Massive and the same teams that brought you “Tom Clancy’s The Division®,” “Tom Clancy’s The Division® 2” is an online open-world, action-shooter RPG experience set in a collapsing and fractured Washington, D.C. This rich new setting combines a wide variety of beautiful, iconic and realistic environments where the player will experience the series’ trademark for authenticity in world- building, rich RPG systems, and fast-paced action like never before. Play solo or co-op with a team of up to four players to complete a wide range of activities, from the main campaign and adversarial PvP matches to the Dark Zone — where anything can happen.

“TUNIC” (FINJI). “TUNIC” is an isometric action adventure about a tiny fox in a big world. Embark on an adventuresome questabout set in that place just beyond the farthest you’ve ever been! Explore ancient ruins, fight monsters and uncover mysterious secrets. The world is big and scary — so be brave, little one!

“WE HAPPY FEW” (COMPULSION GAMES, GEARBOX PUBLISHING). After debuting as an Xbox Game Preview title at the 2016 Xbox E3 Briefing, “We Happy Few” 1.0, which includes an all-new narrative and community-driven improvements, will launch on Xbox One and Xbox One X (with 4K and HDR support) on Aug. 10, 2018. “We Happy Few” is a narrative-driven action adventure game set in a drug-fueled, retrofuturistic 1960s England. Uncover the mystery of Wellington Wells as you play through the interwoven narratives of three moderately terrible citizens trying to escape from a lifetime of cheerful denial.

BIGGEST XBOX SALE OF THE YEAR HAPPENING NOW

Microsoft also announced its Biggest Xbox Sale of the Year where gamers can find discounts on hundreds of games, accessories, Xbox Game Pass and Live Gold subscriptions, plus $50 off ANY Xbox One. For more information, visit Xbox Wire.

Be sure to preorder now at your Microsoft Store or local retailer. With retail locations across the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and Australia, and through Microsoft.com, fans can begin preordering their favorite games and select accessories and hardware from this year’s Xbox E3 2018 Briefing right now. For a list of Microsoft Store locations, visit https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/locations/find-a-store .

WATCH E3 LIVE STREAMING ON MIXER

For additional news, highlights, exclusive reveals and a behind-the-scenes look at some of your favorite games throughout the week of E3, watch Inside Xbox: Live @ E3 on Monday, June 11 at 3 p.m. PDT and tune in to live streaming on Mixer Tuesday, June 12 and Wednesday, June 13.

Hadoken your way through gaming history with Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, now available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Windows PC.

This collection of 12 arcade-perfect Street Fighter games encapsulates a walk down memory lane with the video game phenomenon that impacted arcade culture, established the fighting game genre, and paved the way for esport events such as Capcom Pro Tour.

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection marks the first time many of these arcade essentials are playable on consoles and PC. Street Fighter players can recreate the classic arcade gaming experience by competing against the CPU and friends locally, or challenge an opponent online in four online-supported games. An ultimate tribute to Street Fighter arcade legacy, this all-in-one package includes 12 classic titles with arcade-perfect balancing including:

While the collection stays true to the original arcade experiences, Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection also includes some new features and options. New since the original arcade versions is a robust Training Mode that offers numerous options for players to customize their experience and train more effectively for their next match. Some of the options that are universal amongst all four games are the ability to turn on damage display, input display, dummy controls, and more.

When players need a break from the action, the collection invites fans to explore the franchise’s history with early game design documents, see how their favorite characters have evolved through character bios and sprite viewers, and even listen to some of its most memorable soundtracks via the game’s built-in music player.

Leading and award-winning developer and publisher of digital entertainment Telltale Games, in partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, today released the season premiere episode of the highly anticipated BATMAN – The Telltale Series, now available for download.
BATMAN – The Telltale Series Episode One: Realm of Shadows makes its worldwide debut digitally today on PC from the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services; on the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 4; and on the Xbox Games Store for Xbox One®. The premiere episode will also be available later this week on Mac from the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services; later this month on the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 3, and on the Xbox Games Store for Xbox 360®; and the week of Sept. 13 for compatible iOS devices via the App Store, and for compatible Android-based devices via Google Play and the Amazon Appstore.

The series will also be available to purchase at retailers for a MSRP of $29.99 USD or equivalent starting Sept. 13 in North America as a special “Season Pass Disc,” which will include the first of five episodes in the season, and will grant access to the subsequent four episodes as they become available for download via online updates. The series will then be available to purchase at retailers across Europe beginning Sept. 16.

“Creating an entirely original story surrounding the man behind the mask and challenging players to take on the role of Bruce Wayne just as much as the mythic Batman has resulted in one of our most sophisticated Telltale series yet,” said Kevin Bruner, CEO, Co-Founder of Telltale Games. “Our game will explore all aspects of Bruce’s life, from his tense encounters in public with Gotham City’s most notorious criminals by day, to his thrilling chases across the rooftops at night, players will think twice about their choices and consequences in a city that’s always watching the actions of its most famous billionaire.”

“Telltale Games is renowned for its unique style of interactive storytelling, which is a great match for the incredibly iconic character of Batman,” said David Haddad, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “We are excited to further expand our partnership with Telltale to bring fans an entirely new way to experience the many layers of Bruce Wayne’s story.”

The series also marks the first ever unique, local multiplayer options for a Telltale game with the all-new Crowd Play feature. Revealed at the game’s sneak preview during San Diego Comic-Con, Crowd Play allows game owners to invite a group of players to vote on story decisions and give feedback from their mobile devices using any web browser connected online when following along with the lead player on a main screen. The feature is designed to allow 2-24 or more players to enjoy episodes together in their living rooms, and will also accommodate much larger crowds and audiences of over 1,000 at special upcoming live events in theaters organized by Telltale. Crowd Play will allow for a new and instantly accessible way for players to enjoy Telltale entertainment together as a group, creating an experience that continues to break new ground in the space between games and interactive cinematic storytelling.

BATMAN – The Telltale Series is an episodic game series licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and based on DC’s iconic character. Rendered to look like a living, breathing comic book, Telltale’s vision of Batman features an award-winning cast of talent, including Troy Baker in the role of Bruce Wayne, Travis Willingham as Harvey Dent, Erin Yvette as Vicki Vale, Enn Reitel as Alfred Pennyworth, Murphy Guyer as Lieutenant James Gordon, Richard McGonagle as Carmine Falcone, and Laura Bailey as Selina Kyle. Additional cast and characters will be revealed as the season progresses.

Daybreak Game Company has officially released the massively multiplayer online game DC Universe™ Online (DCUO) on Xbox One.

Players can download and experience the title for free* directly via the Xbox Games Store. To celebrate the game’s launch, Daybreak Games has created three exclusive items free to download for Xbox One players: the Powered-Up Cape, Powered-Up Emblem and Vapor Aura.

“Xbox One players can finally channel their inner Super Hero – or Super-Villain. Whether they want to run fast like The Flash, fly like Superman or wield ice like Captain Cold, we have more than five years’ worth of content to adventure through in DC Universe Online,” said SJ Muller, DCUO Creative Director. “DCUO is the only MMO set in the DC Comics universe, and its physics-based combat allows players to really feel like they are part of this action-packed Super Hero world.”

In DCUO, players create their own Super Heroes or Super-Villains and equip them with their favorite superpowers to protect or cause chaos in the sprawling comic worlds of Metropolis, Gotham City and beyond. Players can also fight as any of the 40 available iconic DC Comics characters in Legends PvP and PvE game modes, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Joker, Harley Quinn, The Flash, Green Arrow and more.

Beyond its core adventures, DCUO has continually rolled out new and ongoing events, stories and challenges through game updates and more than 20 original Episodes. 2016 has already seen the arrival of new content inspired by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the Warner Bros. television series DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, with Water powers and new content focused on Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Darkseid and Gotham Girls still on the way.

Episodes, as well as Legends characters and powers, are available to purchase individually or can be accessed through DCUO Membership. Xbox One users will be able to access all content currently available, and in the future, all game updates and marketplace additions are planned to release simultaneously across all platforms.

DC Universe Online is the first title from Daybreak Games to be published on Xbox One. It will be joined later this year by the official release of H1Z1®: King of the Kill™ on Xbox One (as well as the PlayStation®4 system and Windows PC).

DCUO recently celebrated its fifth anniversary, having originally launched in 2011 on Windows PC and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and, later, the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system.

Today we can share release dates and all-new screens for the first of three episodes in The Walking Dead: Michonne – A Telltale Miniseries.

The Walking Dead: Michonne – A Telltale Miniseries will premiere its first of three episodes, ‘In Too Deep,’ this February 23rd on PC/Mac from the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services, the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, the Xbox Games Store for Xbox One® and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, followed by a release on compatible iOS devices via the App Store, and Android-based devices via Google Play and the Amazon App Store starting February 25th.

The second episode in the miniseries, ‘Give No Shelter,’ will follow in the month of March, and conclude with the third episode, ‘What We Deserve,’ in April. All three episodes in the miniseries will be available for purchase at the cost of $14.99 USD or equivalent when the first episode debuts, including access to the second and third episodes as they become available.

In this premiere episode, ‘In Too Deep,’ Michonne joins Pete and his crew on the sailing ship The Companion as they cruise the coast for survivors and supplies. When a desperate signal for help draws them to a scene of horrific massacre, Michonne and the crew are lead further to the floating survivors’ colony of Monroe, which may just be harboring the person responsible for the carnage.

The Walking Dead: Michonne – A Telltale Miniseries stars the iconic, blade-wielding character from Robert Kirkman’s best-selling comic books, portrayed in-game by award-winning actress Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black). Haunted by her past, and coping with unimaginable loss and regret, the story explores Michonne’s absence between issues #126 and #139 of the comic book. Over the three episodes of the miniseries, players will discover what took Michonne away from Rick, Ezekiel, and the rest of her trusted group… and what brought her back.

Ahead of its release, fans are invited to get an exclusive extended preview of the first episode of the series on Youtube.com/TelltaleGames this Sunday February 14th at 8:30pm EST / 5:30pm PST. The development team will introduce the series allowing fans to experience the first five minutes of the premiere episode, exploring Michonne’s struggle to remain among the living while being haunted by her past.

To date, The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series has sold more than 50 million episodes worldwide, earning more than 100 Game of the Year awards from outlets including Metacritic, USA Today, Wired, Spike TV VGAs, Yahoo!, The Telegraph, Mashable, Polygon, Destructoid and GamesRadar, and was also the recipient of two BAFTA Video Games Awards for Best Story and Best Mobile Game.

The Walking Dead is set in the world of Robert Kirkman’s award-winning comic book series and offers an emotionally-charged, tailored game experience where a player’s actions and choices affect how their story plays out across the entire series.

Starting yesterday, Xbox Live Gold members can play more than a dozen EA games as much as they want in The Vault, for free without subscription on EA Access, only on Xbox One. The weeklong EA Access Free Play Days promotion ends on January 24.

As part of the promotion, players can explore The Vault, a growing collection of full EA games available to EA Access members to play as much as they want.

The Vault currently includes more than a dozen games such as Dragon Age™: Inquisition, EA SPORTS™ FIFA 15, Titanfall™, Plants vs. Zombies™ Garden Warfare, Battlefield™ Hardline, Madden NFL 15, EA SPORTS™ UFC® and Need for Speed™ Rivals. To get started players can download the EA Access hub App by clicking on the Gold Member area on the home dashboard.

When the EA Access Free Play Days conclude, players can continue playing games in The Vault and enjoy more perks by signing up for an EA Access membership. All progress and Achievements unlocked carry over when players become EA Access members. Benefits also include playing upcoming EA games before they’re released for a limited time and 10% discounts on all digital EA purchases on Xbox One. EA Access membership costs $4.99 (USD) per month or $29.99 (USD) for a full year. All progress players make in Vault games also carry over when full games are purchased.

EA Access is the real deal and available exclusively on Xbox One. Free Play Days invites all Xbox Live Gold members to see what EA Access is all about. For the current list of titles in the growing Vault library and more information about EA Access, visit www.ea.com/eaaccess .

E3 has come early for Xbox fans, as Microsoft has unveiled an exciting upgrade to its home console, the Xbox One 1TB.

GAME is pleased to announce timed exclusivity of the latest technology that can be purchased in store or online from today.

The new console, which is exclusive at GAME until June 20th, can be the ultimate entertainment system for the home with its improved double the storage is also equipped with a new controller, fitted with a new 3.5mm headphone jack.

The new 1TB version will be available for either £349 for the console or as part of a bundle with either Elder Scrolls Online or Lego Jurassic World. Gamers that already have an Xbox One or Xbox 360 can take advantage of our fantastic trade-in offer. Saving £100 when they trade-in, making the console only £249.

Charlotte Knight, UK Retail Managing Director at GAME, said:

“Gamers will have been waiting until E3 for such a big announcement like this, so we’re excited to announce this with Microsoft and bring it to households early.

“The new 1TB version will give gamers loads more storage and judging by the response we’ve had, demand for this from Microsoft fans is likely to be high.”

To purchase this exclusive new console or find out more information, visit your local GAME store or check out game.co.uk.

As well as trading in, those who purchase from GAME will also earn 2% back in Reward points on every transaction, which they can then use to spend on even more great games, tech and accessories.

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